India is rapidly urbanizing, not only in form and features but, from within. An estimated 95 million people will be added, nearly one-fourth of the country’s current urban population, to its already dense cities in the coming decade. The Indian real estate sector needs to gear up to upgrade itself to global standards, introduce more transparency and attract large investments for catering to this unprecedented scale of growth.

Jones Lang LaSalle India’s latest research report Upscaling Indian Real Estate discusses the roles of various stakeholders – architects, builders and the government in preparing and upscaling the Indian real estate market on five broad aspects:

• Housing

A focused approach towards the design and development of low cost housing at suitable locations

• Sustainability

Energy efficient solutions directed towards large scale real estate development, especially residential

• Infrastructure

Urgent attention towards development of urban infrastructure to improve the livability of cities

• Transparency

Higher transparency to foster an environment of trust and introduce efficiency in project implementation

• Urban Branding

Improved imagery of cities with strategic urban branding to attract investments, retain skilled workforce, promote tourism, etc

Click here to download a copy of the report and see how each of these stakeholders will play a significant role in painting the India Real Estate picture in the coming decade.

Research and Real Estate Intelligence Service

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Even so, the Indian commercial sector has begun to make conscious efforts towards creating sustainable real estate. With support from the Indian government, a number of construction projects that are currently underway are registered with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). LEED is soon emerging as the preferred rating system as it is flexible enough to be applied to a diverse variety of markets and also because it enjoys the greatest recognition of the various international rating systems. This recognition is especially important when one considers that a prime motivator for developers to create a certified sustainable building is to differentiate their project from competition.

The government has introduced several schemes to encourage sustainability such as the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) schemes for subsidising capital for installation of solar water heaters, encouragement of energy audits and management schemes, mandatory use of fly ash-based construction material, groundwater and rain water harvesting and most importantly increased monitoring of air and water pollution.

Sustainable development can be achieved through synergy between developers and occupiers to establish goals, undertake audits and ascertain where savings and improvements can be made. We need to focus on high-impact, low-cost solutions that can be implemented within a realistic timeframe. The importance of educating occupiers on the impact their use of space will have on sustainability outcomes is integral to the success of a sustainability programme.

To properly educate developers, their patterns of behaviour must be changed to accommodate and reinforce any sustainability features that have been implemented in a building. The main objective of any education and communications program should be to encourage developers and occupiers to follow practices such as energy and water conservation, waste management and improve indoor air quality.

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At Jones Lang LaSalle India, the Real Estate Intelligence Services division has constantly been tracking ‘green’ trends in Indian real estate. I’m happy to put before you the latest result of our efforts – ‘India’s Green Footprint – Sustainable Real Estate’s Growing Momentum in India‘.

This report deals with the progress being made on sustainability in India’s real estate markets. I invite you to join us as we trace the country’s increasing green footprint as it builds up its repertoire of eco-friendly buildings.

The report highlights the green building rating systems being used in India, the corporate occupiers who have opted to go green, and the contributions being made by Indian developers and Government authorities. As you read it, you will gain new insight into the forces that are driving change in this fast-emerging real estate market.

Naturally, we have not neglected to include pertinent market statistics and listings of notable green real estate developments, as well as a case study of a major research and testing organization in Hyderabad which decided to go green.

I wish you an informative read – and do send us your feedback. You can download the report here:

JLL REIS – India’s Green Footprint – Sustainable Real Estate’s Growing Momentum in India

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The term ‘Green Housing’ or ‘Eco Friendly Homes’ relates to making residential building sustainable. It is an integrated approach to minimize the impact of construction and operation of residential buildings on the environment. Green buildings also promote a better lifestyle, because they make the experience of day-to-day living much healthier.

The Nuts And Bolts Of Eco Friendly Homes

The processes that govern green housing projects are all about reducing the use of scarce resources such as water, energy and materials during construction and occupation. The idea behind designing sustainable buildings is to include features that make the most of natural light, reduce heat gain and improve the quality of indoor air.

Sustainable construction requires specific technology and the use of certain design parameters. The Projects and Development Services division at Jones Lang LaSalle India also advises its developer clients on the use of equipment and fixtures that consume less water and electricity, the segregation of waste at source, the recycling of water and waste and a host of other ‘green’ aspects.

I’m often asked how green homes differ from those available in most other modern housing projects. That’s not surprising, considering the ‘green’ claims many developers make about their projects these days. It’s true that some of the latest roll-outs of housing projects have features such as rain water harvesting and solar water heating, but few of these projects include the full gamut of features that officially make them ‘green’. Projects with genuine eco friendly homes need to conform to a Green Rating system.

Green Homes – The India Context

This brings up another question I’m often asked – does a country like India really NEED green housing? Shouldn’t we be focusing more on housing the masses rather than on ‘Western’ concepts like these?

My answer is simple. It is true that India currently has a shortage of over 20 million housing units, and that the need for housing is growing at an annual rate of 14%. However, it is equally true that we also have severe shortages of energy and water everywhere.

The fact is that India is perched precariously on the knife-edge of energy availability. Solid waste disposal is a major environmental problem in all our cities; a problem that is compounded by the limited availability of landfill spaces. Simultaneously, our lifestyle requirements are changing rapidly, and these translate directly into increased waste generation and energy consumption. We have little choice but to look at new ways of using the natural resources that we need for sustenance in residential complexes, and to minimize waste generation during construction and occupation.

In short, it is high time that we got our heads out of the sand as far as green housing is concerned. We cannot credibly hide behind the convenient label of ‘developing nation’ anymore. The fact is that India already consumed irrational amounts of non-replaceable energy, generating huge volumes of emission in the process. We owe it to our children and to future generations to do something about it.

We are also surely going to face the heat from various agencies focused on sustainable practices across the globe to address this issue over the coming years. The fact that Indian real estate will lose its current priority ranking among international property investors if we fail to do this is probably the least of the problems.

As always, proactive prevention is better than costly cures at a later stage. There is therefore no question that green housing is most definitely a vital need of the hour in India.

My Advice To ‘Green Home’ Buyers

If you’re about to buy a home in a project that calls itself ‘Green’, you would do well to check on some of the most basic qualifying parameters for eco friendly homes:

• Is the project close to public transportation systems that minimize the need to use private transport?
• Does it use low water consuming fixtures?
• Does it have energy efficient common area lighting systems and fixtures?
• Does it feature solar water heaters, sewage treatment plants, rain water harvesting and dual plumbing to use recycled water for flushing?
• Can you confirm the presence of natural ventilation, and is the building orientated in a way that reduces the usage of air conditioning?
• How large is the green cover, and what kinds of plants does it feature? Remember that native species are always preferable
• What type of construction and roofing material has been used?
• Is there covered car parking, with coverage provided by trees or otherwise?
• Does the project have waste disposal features such as vermi-compost or bio-methanation of waste?

Gagan Singh is CEO – Projects and Development Services, Jones Lang LaSalle India

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